Planning Process and Projects in National Parks of Turkey

Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, Directorate General of Nature Conservation and National Parks is responsible for conserving therichness of biodiversity in Turkey and determining policies on nature conservation, conserving and developing wildlife areas, designationof protected areas; managing efforts in National Parks (NP), Nature Parks, Natural Monuments and Nature Conservation Parks, conservingand enhancing sensitive areas particularly wetlands and caves and meeting the international conventions and obligations with regard to theseissues. National Parks in Turkey have been managing within the scope of 2873 numbered Law on National Parks and Regulations. Withinthe context of this Law National Parks being designated among the protected areas having natural and cultural resource values around thecountry and world. Turkey has 42 National Parks, 223 Nature Parks, 111 Natural Monuments and 30 Nature Conservation Areas. Long TermDevelopment Plans/ Development/Management Plans being prepared in accordance with the biodiversity strategy considering conservationutilizationbalance and in line with the decisions in these upper scale plans, by taking into consideration physical and legal restrictions,Landscape and Architectural Projects for introduction, recreational and informational aims. Moreover, the areas associated with cultural,historical and archeological events being designated as Historical National Parks (HNP) (Sarıkamış Allahuekber Mountains NP, BaşkomutanHNP, Nene Hatun HNP, Sakarya Battles HNP, Mount Kop Defense HNP, Göreme HNP etc.). Visitor Centers being constructed to explainlate history for visitors and transfer information to future generations (Panoramic Museums). With this study, planning process and projectsprepared in National Parks in Turkey are explained.